Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Triton XXV 11-12 Jan 2022
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JUDAEA, Jewish War. 66-70 CE. AR Shekel (21mm, 13.19 g, 12h). Jerusalem mint. Dated year 5 ([August] 70 CE). Omer cup; "Y[ear] 5" (date, in Hebrew) above,"Shekel of Israel" (in Hebrew) around / Sprig of three pomegranates; "Jerusalem the holy" (in Hebrew) around. Deutsch 11 (O4/R8); Kadman 45; Meshorer 215; Hendin 6399; Bromberg 389; Shoshana I 20220 = Hunt I 116 (same dies); Sofaer –; Spaer –. Lightly toned, a little off center. Good VF. Very rare.
From the Dr. Jay M. Galst Collection, purchased from ILM, January 2007.
The storied shekels of the fifth year of the Jewish War are by far the rarest and most storied. Meshorer has written (TJC p. 130) that "[t]he amazing fact with regard to the coins of the fifth year is that they were struck then, in the last four months of the Jewish War against the Romans. At that time the striking of bronze coinage came to a complete halt. In those trying days, normal activities such as commerce and the consumption of goods no longer took place in Jerusalem, and there was thus no need to continue issuing these coins. On the other hand, silver shekels were still an important factor in the Holy City on account of their ritual value. Fulfillment of the precept of paying the half-shekel tribute to the Temple was all important, and the shekels continued to be minted even in the fifth year of the war."
From the Dr. Jay M. Galst Collection, purchased from ILM, January 2007.
The storied shekels of the fifth year of the Jewish War are by far the rarest and most storied. Meshorer has written (TJC p. 130) that "[t]he amazing fact with regard to the coins of the fifth year is that they were struck then, in the last four months of the Jewish War against the Romans. At that time the striking of bronze coinage came to a complete halt. In those trying days, normal activities such as commerce and the consumption of goods no longer took place in Jerusalem, and there was thus no need to continue issuing these coins. On the other hand, silver shekels were still an important factor in the Holy City on account of their ritual value. Fulfillment of the precept of paying the half-shekel tribute to the Temple was all important, and the shekels continued to be minted even in the fifth year of the war."